The Enchanted Forest Serenade - A CS version of the winter finale
by Captain Poupon
Summary: Here's what would have happened if Killian had been the one sent to the Enchanted Forest instead of Regina. Quite an adventure awaits Captain Swan!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Would you mind telling us what you have in mind?" Killian asked.

He, Henry, David, Regina and Jasmine were gathered at the Charmings'. Snow was sleeping and was still unaware of the last events. She didn't know that her daughter was missing, sent to another realm because the Evil Queen had made the wish that she had never been the saviour. Since the incident, they had been discussing where to find her and how to get her back, and Regina had just mentioned she knew what to do. Everyone was inquiringly looking at her, waiting for some clarification.

"The Evil Queen forgot one crucial element: we are the same person," Regina announced.

"And where does that lead us?" Killian asked impatiently, not in a mood for riddles.

"It means that she's not the only master of the lamp. All I need to do is to go to her and Aladdin, and make the wish to be sent where Emma is. Then, all I'll have to do is to find her and bring her back."

"That's brilliant! Should we all go together?" Henry asked.

"No, lad. You know how that works, there's a price to pay," Killian reminded him. "You're staying here."

"He's right. You're staying here," Regina approved before addressing David and Killian, "I'm counting on both of you to take care of him."

Henry frowned, disliking being treated like a child.

"Wait," he interrupted and addressed the two men. "You said the Evil Queen's wish was that Emma had never been the saviour."

"Yes, that's what we repeated over and over already." David was losing patience. He cast his wife a concerned glance and hoped that their daughter would be back before he would need to awake her.

"Killian should be the one going," Henry said.

"What?"

"You should be the one going," the boy repeated.

"Why should he be the one going there?" Regina asked. "I can go. I'll have the lamp."

"And you can make the wish for Killian, just like the Evil Queen did for Emma," Henry suggested. "Think about it: my mum is the saviour because she was supposed to be the one breaking the Dark Curse. But if she's not the saviour, that means she must be in some alternate reality where you didn't cast the curse. Imagine she's living in the Enchanted Forest with her parents, like she would have if you hadn't cast the Dark Curse. You wouldn't be welcome there."

"Maybe if I didn't cast the curse in this other reality, it's simply because I don't exist," she assumed.

"No, no, that would have too many consequences. If being the author showed me one thing, it's that magic always keeps it as simple as it can be. It's just easier if the Evil Queen is there. There would be too many changes to make if she wasn't. That means you won't be welcome there."

"Very clever, lad." Killian proudly patted his shoulder. "I'm the one going to find Emma."

"There will be a price to pay," Regina reminded him, probably in an attempt to dissuade him.

"Whatever the price is, I'm willing to pay it if it is to save Emma."

"And of course, she won't remember who she really is," Henry added. "You can make her remember."

"That's right," David approved. "She fell in love with you once, she can fall in love with you again. You're her best chance."

"Take the book, it might help," Henry handed it to the pirate.

"Let's go and get that lamp," Killian told Regina whilst slipping the book in a bag and tossing its strap on his shoulder.

She unwillingly nodded and they turned to the door but Henry interrupted them.

"Can I come?" he tried again.

"No," Regina and Killian both answered in unison.

"But nobody will know who I am because I surely don't exist in this other reality! And I could help!"

"No, lad. I'm not taking the risk of taking you with me."

They left and Killian was only half-listening whilst Regina talked about how they would proceed and expanded on what the Evil Queen might be doing, or on what she would personally do if she was the one in charge of bringing Emma back. He was mostly thinking about the one he loved, wondering where she was, and about Henry, trying to convince himself that he had made the right choice by making him stay in Storybrooke.

Before entering the Mayor's office, Killian checked that he had everything he needed; the book, his sword and his rum. He could think of nothing else that could be useful. Because they suspected he would land in a realm not as civilised as Storybrooke, he had also traded his modern clothing for his old pirate's outfit.

"Remember, you don't do anything and stay hidden until-"

"Until you're ready to make the wish." Killian interrupted her and completed her sentence. "I know. You said that already."

They entered the building and Regina indicated him a spot behind the door where he could hide. Killian knew she had been right to assume that the Evil Queen would be in her office when he heard the voices inside the room. Listening to this conversation was rather odd as it sounded like one woman talking to herself, but he could actually differentiate Regina and the Evil Queen rather easily because of their different intonations. Picturing them in the same room made him even more impatient to leave this place: he could barely stomach one and was now stuck with the two of them. On the lookout for the cue, he needed to listen carefully but, only eager to reunite with Emma, he sighed as the conversation seemed to go on and on. Aladdin was there too. At last, it was time.

"Genie of the lamp," Killian heard Regina say and came out of hiding. "I wish for Killian Jones to be sent at the same place as Emma Swan."

Killian barely had time to catch a glimpse of the Evil Queen and Aladdin. Everything around him disappeared and the next thing he knew was that he was in a forest. He quickly checked that he had the book, his sword and his rum before glancing around and spotting the closest path.

"Bloody hell," he cursed under his breath and rolled his eyes when he heard whistles. "These dwarves are everywhere."

Walking with their axes over their shoulders, the seven men stopped abruptly when they saw Killian.

"Ahoy dwarves. Do you know where I can find Emma Swan? I mean, Emma," he quickly corrected himself. "Emma, daughter of Snow-White and Prince Charming."

A dwarf whose name Killian had forgotten took a step forwards and asked, "Do you mean Princess Emma?"

Grumpy nudged him in the ribs and suspiciously looked at the pirate.

"Princess Emma," Killian repeated dreamily. "Is there a castle anywhere around here?"

Grumpy threateningly stepped forward, holding his axe in front of him. "What do you want with the princess? Who are you?"

"I'm not a threat, dwarf." The pirate used his hook to push the axe away and realised his mistake when the dwarf gazed at the piece of metal.

"You're Captain Hook!"

Killian rolled his eyes again when the dwarves took a step back. "I used to be flattered by this, but not anymore. I'm Killian Jones, her… an old friend."

He was tempted to insist but their looks imprinted with suspicion and fear made him give up on the idea. Feeling like he wouldn't manage to get anything from them, he let them leave, turned around and walked away.

Killian was unsure about where he was going but he knew the path would take him somewhere: if it wasn't the castle, he would probably find some village or reach the waterside. There, inhabitants would possibly be more useful than the dwarves and indicate him the way to the castle. That was what he had in mind, but he actually happened to be luckier than he had expected: hoping to find the castle, he had not even considered the possibility to directly come across the one he was looking for. But he couldn't be mistaken about this voice: it was hers. He stepped away from the path to follow her voice. He had never heard her sing before but there she was, picking flowers and humming. Standing behind a tree, Killian watched her with a tender smile on his lips. She looked alike and at the same time very different from the woman he knew.

A few meters were still separating them when he came into the open and called her, "Emma?"

He had tried to keep his voice as soft as possible but she still jumped with surprise. She turned around and quickly looked him up and down before gazing at his face.

"Who are you?"

He could hear the hint of fear in her voice but could also see how she was staring at him. Hoping she might remember, he didn't answer straight away in order to give her some time. But she didn't seem to remember and looked like she was ready to step back.

"I knew seeing me wouldn't be enough." Because of how the dwarves had reacted, he dreaded telling her who he was. But he knew that if he wanted her to trust him, he couldn't lie to her. He didn't _want_ to lie to her. "Look, I'm someone you can trust. I could lie and hide who I am but you will find out anyway so I'd rather tell you now. I'm Killian Jones, but you may have heard of me as Captain Hook."

"Captain Hook?" she repeated.

She looked down at his hook which hadn't caught her attention yet and stepped back.

"Bloody hell, I'm even more famous in this realm than I truly was," he commented in a low voice. "Love, I mean, Emma… You need to trust me when I tell you I mean you no harm."

"Why are you fitted with a sword?" she asked suspiciously.

Her question was so unexpected that Killian repressed a laugh. "It's just a protection. I don't plan on using it now. If that's what you're worried about, I can put it down."

He unsheathed his sword and set it down on the ground.

"What is in your bag?" she asked.

"Nothing to be scared of, but I'm glad you're asking." He brought the book out of his bag. "Because the story in this book is what I want to talk to you about."

Her gaze shifted between him and the book. He could see in her eyes that her curiosity had been tickled, but that fear was prevailing; he could feel that she was about to run away.

"I should leave," she said, confirming his guess. "My parents and Henry will be looking for me."

"Henry exists in that realm too?" He asked and she cast him a surprised look. "Never mind. That's not what's important right now. Please stay, I can see you're curious about all of this. You don't have to be afraid. Deep down, you must know."

She finally gave in to curiosity. "I must know what?"

"That none of this is real." A light crease appeared between her eyebrows and he stepped forward before explaining, "We're in an alternate reality. Actually, that might not even be a reality at all. Everything you believe is wrong, and all of this," he said while indicating the forest surrounding them, "is an hallucination. The real story is in this book."

"The real story is in a book?" she repeated sceptically.

"Yes. And your parents and Henry are waiting for us."

"For us? Do they know you?"

"Yes, they're waiting for you and I. We…" He trailed off, guessing that telling her so soon that they were in love and living together was probably not wise.

She still looked both curious and suspicious as she stared at him. "Why are you here? What do you want from me?"

"I came here to save you. We need to go back to Storybrooke."

She opened wide eyes. "Storybrooke?"

"Do you remember?"

"I've heard that name in a dream."

"You did?" Killian asked, encouraging her to go on.

"Yes. Last night, I had this dream about a strange place where everything was different from here, and this place was called Storybrooke."

"Do you remember anything else from that dream?"

"Yes. In my dream, the Evil Queen did cast the curse. A curse she was planning on casting years ago but my parents defeated her before she could. But in my dream, she did, and I was the saviour." She was absorbed in her tale but stopped abruptly and suddenly looked concerned. "I shouldn't tell you all of this. I don't even know you."

"Emma, you can tell me anything," he quickly reassured her. "This dream you had, it was not a dream."

His last sentence made her frown. "My parents said it was."

"But it wasn't. You _are_ the saviour. The Evil Queen did cast the Dark Curse and she's still alive, in Storybrooke. You were fighting her when she used a genie and made the wish that you were not the saviour. That's how you landed here."

Emma shook her head incredulously. "That's nonsense. My parents said it was a dream."

"And I'm telling you it wasn't. Use your superpower, you'll see that I'm telling the truth."

"My superpower?" She looked more and more suspicious.

"Aye, your superpower to see if I'm lying."

The look on her face made him realise that not being the saviour probably meant she was also deprived of her superpower.

"You're a crazy person," she commented.

"Well, that's not the first time you're calling me that. But I can assure you I'm telling the truth. We need to leave this place and go back to Storybrooke."

There had been so much information for her to take in that she grasped the meaning of his presence only at this moment. "You want me to leave this place? I can't do that. I have all my life here. My parents, Henry…"

"They're not real. None of this is. Storybrooke is real, and that's where your parents are."

"My parents are at the castle."

"These ones aren't real. The real versions of them are in Storybrooke."

The way she stared at him made it obvious she was taking him for a madman. "You're even crazier than I thought."

Afraid, she took a step back.

"Emma, wait. Look, I know you. And I know that you need some time. Take the book. When you're ready, come and find me. I will be waiting at the tavern of the village down the castle."

She gazed at the book he was handing her. "I'm not sure if I should…"

"Take it," he insisted.

"Fine."

She took a deep breath and closed the distance between them. She laid her hands on the book but didn't take it from him straight away. Her mouth was slightly open and she was searching his eyes in a way which reminded her of the Emma he knew. For one moment, he even imagined that the magic of the book had been enough to make her remember, but he quickly rejected this theory. She was gazing at him and he could see her questioning look: she was still Princess Emma, and he would need to find a way to make her remember.

"I will be waiting for you," he reminded her.

She simply nodded, took the book, glanced at him one more time and walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

With a glass of rum in his hand, Killian was studying a map of the kingdom. He was at the tavern of the village down the castle; the place where he had told Emma to come and find him when she would be ready. In the early afternoon, when he had let her go after telling her that everything she believed was wrong, he had followed her from afar in order to find the castle. He had spent most of the rest of the day thinking of a plan. His first challenge was to make Emma remember who she was. The idea of a true love's kiss had crossed his mind and, when he had seen her in the morning, it wasn't that he hadn't wanted to try, but he remembered the day when he had found her in New York too well and knew that kissing her wouldn't work until she would be ready. He was hoping that reading their story in the book would tickle her curiosity enough to make her want to remember. Then, perhaps she would be ready to kiss him. This was rather uncertain, and this wasn't even all: his second challenge consisted in finding a way back home. This was what he was working on. It was not the first time that he needed to travel from a realm to another: he had done it once, not such a long time ago, and could do the exact same thing once more.

He trailed his finger over the map, following the path leading from where he was to Longbourn, a port he knew very well for having moored the Jolly Roger there so many times. If Henry was right and only a minimum of changes had occurred, chances were that he could come across himself. But this realm's version of him was not the one he was interested in: he had rarely been in possession of a magic bean and he could see no reason why Emma not being the saviour would change that. The one he wanted to see was another pirate who could often be found in this port: Blackbeard. The plan he had in mind was to find him and offer him the Jolly Roger that his other version of him possessed in exchange of a magic bean.

Whether it be about making Emma remember or about finding a way back home, many elements were out of his control but he was confident: he and Emma had true love and a genie's wish couldn't change that. The main reason why he had to bring her back to Storybrooke was her family, but if nothing played out as planned and they needed more time to find a way back, he wouldn't mind staying longer: as long as he was with her, he would be fine. In this realm, she was not the saviour, but she was still Emma. If she didn't remember, nothing would stop him from starting over and winning her heart again.

Killian knew how to go to Longbourn. He simply hadn't decided when to go yet: the return trip would take at least a day; a day when Emma could decide to come to the tavern and not find him. All he knew was that it was too late to leave before the night, so he rolled up his map and had some rum: any decision would wait for the next day.

He spent the night in a room at the tavern. Except from when he had a look around the village to locate places where he could get a horse, he stayed at the tavern, making some calculations from his observations of the stars during the previous night. In the afternoon, a group of loud men entered the place and Killian was astonished when he recognized one of them: Robin Hood was leading the group. His first instinct was to go to him, but before doing so, he remembered this version of the thief surely didn't know him. Robin and his merry men headed to a man sitting at one of the tables; apparently another merry man.

"This can't be good, we need to leave. Staying would be dangerous," Killian heard Robin say and, curious about said danger, pricked up his ears to follow the conversation.

"I told you I didn't want to move anymore," said the man. "I'm staying here. This might be only rumours anyway."

"It's not rumours, I saw them with my own eyes, flying from the castle! Many of us saw them, everyone is panicking outside. Move your arse and get out of this tavern to see by yourself."

"What did you see flying from the castle?" Killian intruded.

Robin lively turned around to face the pirate who had got up when he had heard a mention of the castle. The thief looked him up and down before casting him a despising look.

"Intending to take advantage of the mayhem to pillage?" he asked.

Killian lifted an eyebrow. "Isn't that _your_ job?"

"Not here!" Robin took offence. "These royals are good people."

"Right. What did you see flying from the castle?" the pirate repeated.

"It looked like flying monkeys."

"Bloody hell!"

"There were three of them," Robin went on. "It is said that the king, the queen and the prince have been taken."

"What about Emma? Princess Emma?"

"No one has heard from her."

Feeling his heart thumping against his chest and adrenaline rushing through his veins, Killian ran out of the tavern and up to the castle. It was deserted.

"Emma?" he kept calling, running along corridors.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A guard burst out of an adjacent corridor and stopped him.

"Bloody hell! Do you realise flying monkeys were those you were supposed to stop?"

"You shall not pass."

"I need to see the princess."

"Who are you?" The guard repeated, standing right in front of him.

"Her true love. And you're not real."

He hit him in the face hard enough to make him fall, convincing himself that he had actually not knocked out anyone because this realm was not a reality.

"Emma?" he screamed, resuming his search and running along more corridors. "Emma?"

"Help me!"

"Emma! Where are you?"

"Here! Help me!"

Killian identified the door through which her voice was coming and entered the room which happened to be her bedroom.

"Emma?" he called when he saw her lying under her bed. "Are you alright?"

"Are the monsters gone?"

"Yes, they're gone." He came closer to her, concerned about what was keeping her under the bed and wondering if she was hurt.

"They took my parents and Henry away!"

"I know. Have you been hurt?"

She looked at the window. "No, but Henry… My parents…"

"Emma, what are you doing under that bed?"

"Hiding," she said as if it was obvious.

"What? So you're not hurt?"

"No. I'm hiding."

"But you're Emma, you don't hide."

"I was scared. I don't know how to fight. They would have taken me too if I hadn't hidden."

She looked like she didn't understand what was wrong with that. Hiding had been her defence strategy and it had worked, but Killian was astonished and didn't recognize her.

"What the hell did your parents do to you? Emma, this isn't you, you're stronger than this. You're the strongest person that I know. You fight dragons and defeat witches."

"What? No, I don't do that. I can't fight."

"You do, trust me. Speaking of witches, we need to leave," he said whilst holding out his hand to her. "She might come anytime soon."

She was about to take his hand but stopped midway. "Who are you talking about?"

"Zelena."

"Who's that?"

"The Wicked Witch. The flying monkeys belong to her. It can't be good that she sent them here."

"My parents, Henry… Where did she take them?"

"I don't know, and it might be hard to believe but none of this is important. All that matters is you. Emma, please come out from under that bed, we need to go."

There was in his voice a hint of exasperation that he couldn't conceal. Seeing her like this was a reminder that she was not the one he had fallen in love with: the first thing he had loved about her was how strong and brave she was, and this part of her was obviously missing in this realm.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when she finally took his hand and extracted herself from under her bed.

"Where's the book? The one I gave you yesterday."

"It's here."

She went to pick it up on her bedside table and that was when he saw it, lying against the wall next to her bed: a sword whose hilt was set with a red stone; the sword she had seen in her visions, back in Storybrooke.

"This sword, do you remember how you got it?"

"I found it under my bed."

This was not the answer he had been hoping for.

"Let's take it," he simply said, giving up on the idea to use it to make her see that this realm was not the reality they belonged to.

"Wait," she said when he put the book back inside his bag. "Why would I trust you?"

"What?" He asked, taken aback.

"You're a pirate. I didn't mention the creatures were monkeys, how would you know about that if you're not the one who sent them?"

"Emma, that makes no sense! As you said, I'm a pirate, not a zookeeper. You have to trust me." Since she looked suspicious, he added, "Look… You're still you somehow, you must sense something's off. Think of your dream, you can't have made that up."

She looked him in the eye for a moment and bit her lip. "Alright, I trust you."

His eyebrows went up and he flashed her a smile. "That was fast!"

The real Emma had needed much more time before taking the trust step. The thought that she might also need less time to reach the step of the kiss crossed his mind and his smile brightened. She looked at him inquiringly and he shook his head.

"Let's go," he said. "There's this stable in the village. I talked to the man this morning, he agreed to lend me a horse."

"We have a royal stable," she reminded him.

"Right. I wasn't sure you would come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Longbourn."

"Why are we going there?"

"Would you mind if I explain all of this to you later?"

She shook her head, went to pick the sword, and they left. She led him to the royal stable. One of the horses was already saddled.

"Let's take this one." Killian indicated her the horse but she didn't move.

"I don't often go horseriding," she admitted.

"Alright. Do you know how to approach a horse?" he inquired whilst slowly closing the distance with the animal and softly placing a hand on its head.

"Yes. I just don't ride a lot."

Killian mounted the horse first and held out his hook to help her get on it.

"You need to hold on to me or you will fall."

At first, she hesitantly placed her hands on his hips, once again reminding him that she was not the same Emma, but the difference became much less perceptible when she wrapped her arms around him. Instinctively, he looked back at her and she suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Do you prefer if I just hold you like I did before?"

"No. It's perfect like this."

Once they were on the path to Longbourn, Killian lost himself in thoughts. He was unable to stop thinking about the woman he had found hiding under her bed and about these arms wrapped around him. She was Emma and at the same time she wasn't. This was disturbing him because she was the one he loved but was at the same time someone he didn't know. She looked like Emma and, just judging by her arms around him, also felt like Emma. But she didn't act like Emma and he was annoyed by the fact that this was bothering him: she was still the woman he loved but he couldn't deny that he had a preference for the Emma he lived with in Storybrooke. He wanted her to remember; he wanted her to remember about him and their love but, most importantly, he wanted her to remember who she was. The simple thought of how exasperated he had felt when he had found her hiding under her bed made him feel guilty. He didn't want to have such feelings toward her. He loved her and should probably accept her like she was no matter what. It was actually what she had done when they had been in an alternate reality and he had been a simple deckhand. He thought of their sword-fighting session and of how she had taken his breath away. His thoughts drifted as he recalled some of his favourite moments when she had been breath-taking. Absent-mindedly, he reached for the arms he could feel around his waist. Her fists were clenched, which was unusual enough to remind him of where he was, but she relaxed them as soon as his hand covered one of them. She turned her hand under his own, softly brushed his palm, and intertwined their fingers. At first, Killian didn't move but, after a moment, wondering how she would react, he caressed her hand with his thumb. He had expected her to take her hand back but she didn't. Instead, she placed her other hand on his wrist and, by doing so, lost him in his thoughts again.

He was the one to take his hand back when holding the reins only with his hook happened to be too risky.

They didn't talk until he slowed the horse down.

"Where are we?" Emma asked.

This was not Longbourn: they were still in the forest and were stopped in front of a large cottage.

"Longbourn is too far away to reach it before dark. This is the only place on the way where we can stop. We'll spend the night here."

"The night?"

"Aye, they have some rooms."

"Will we be in the same room?"

"If you don't mind," he replied, judging her reaction as he didn't know which answer she wanted to hear. "With these flying monkeys around, I'll be reassured to have you with me. And I like having you with me. But I'll understand if you prefer two separate rooms."

"The beds are for two people, right?"

Killian couldn't repress a chuckle. "Yes, they are."

"Then, we can share a room."

Moments later, they had the key to a room with a double bed. On Killian's initiative, they went back outside.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked.

"Right here."

Stopping in the middle of the clearing by the cottage, he softly let go of her hand and flashed her a smile which she returned.

"And what are we doing here?"

"We're going to work on your fighting skills."

"You want to teach me how to fight?"

"Not exactly. I'm going to show you that you do know how to fight."

"You still believe I can fight dragons and defeat witches," she assessed.

"And you still don't believe that none of this is real."

She lightly shrugged. "If I didn't believe in anything I know, what would I believe in? What would I do? I would have nothing."

"Emma…" He stepped forward but stopped himself from cupping her chin. "You have much more than you can imagine."

"And that includes fighting skills?"

"Aye. You'll see." He considered her outfit and lifted an inquiring eyebrow. "Is that dress comfortable enough for a swordfight?"

She shrugged. "If I ever need to fight, I won't have time to change anyway."

"Point taken."

Stepping back, he unsheathed and placed on the ground both swords, and started to work on his belt.

"What are you doing?"

"As you said, when time for a fight comes, there is no time to change. There is also no time to look for a weapon. Your sword must be within reach," he said whilst removing his belt.

"What about you?"

"I'll find a way to use my other belt." He handed her one end of his belt. "Can you hold this?"

She nodded and took it, and he slipped the belt in her back, under her cloak, before fastening it around her hips. Focused on what he was doing, it was only when he finished and looked up that he noticed how she was staring at him. He fixed her gaze on her. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and endearment. She looked like she was hypnotized.

"You should get the sword," he said softly.

She shook her head as she was pulled out of her thoughts. "Right."

Killian grabbed the hilt set with a red stone and sheathed the sword. Once again, he caught her eye.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. Everything's fine. Teach me."

She was about to unsheathe her sword with her left hand but he interrupted her.

"It will be easier to use the opposite hand. Since your sword is on your left, you need to use your right hand. Let me show you."

He stood behind her, took her hand and placed it on the hilt. He guided her as they unsheathed the sword together, but he could feel she did it almost all by herself.

"I think that's what they call muscle memory," he said in a low voice.

She was leaning back against him and their hands were still in mid-air. Her head was turned toward him and her eyes were closed, reminding him of when he was a deckhand. He wondered if she felt like he had felt at this moment.

She was so close to him and looked so close to succumb that his urge to drop the sword, wrap her in his arms and kiss her was even more difficult to repress.

"Let's work on your parry."

Softly letting go of her hand, he stepped back and took a deep breath.

He showed her how to parry and, at first, she was slightly hesitant. But after a few trials, as he had expected, she became more confident and managed to make the first move.

"See? You're a natural. Because in this other reality, you're really good at it," he said proudly. "You're actually good at everything, there's not a thing that you can't do."

A light blush covered her cheeks. Lightly biting her lip, she didn't say anything.

"One more time," Killian interrupted the silence.

This time, he blocked her sword between his cutlass and his hook. She gazed at the metal and seemed to lose herself in thoughts.

"Emma?"

"I wonder how you do that," she said absent-mindedly, still staring at the blades.

"How do I do what?"

"These feelings of déjà-vu. It's just happened again. The first one was when we were on the horse and you took my hand."

"You're starting to remember!"

"I don't remember. It's just these feelings, but I have no idea where they come from. There is just this feeling, like a flash, but there is no clear memory related to it."

"Emma…" He knew what could make her remember, but waited for her to look up at him before saying, "I just want to make sure that you know this: if you want to kiss me, please don't hold yourself back."

"What?"

"You've heard me well," he said with a lopsided smile. "That could save us some precious time. If there's one thing that I've learned last time something like this happened, it's that it won't work until you want to."

Her gaze shifted between his eyes and a smile tugged at her lips.

"Let's try again," she escaped the conversation. With her hand on the hilt of her sword, she was ready for another attempt.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Do you realise that I still don't know what your plan is? You only told me that we were going to Longbourn to meet someone. I don't even know who that someone is."

"Aye, I do."

Killian and Emma had stopped working on her fighting skills and were back at the cottage, distractedly eating dinner.

"You have time to tell me the whole story, now."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you were ready to hear it."

"I am."

"Are you ready to believe that you fight dragons and defeat witches?"

Emma pulled a face. "Do I really need to believe that?"

"Aye. The whole story is about you being the saviour. That includes dragons and witches. And magic. Your magic."

She opened wide eyes. "Do I have magic?"

"Aye. I guess that's part of being the saviour. Your magic is very powerful. And beautiful. Light magic. Actually, when it comes to fighting, you usually don't use swords. Your magic is much more effective. If there's always someone to save us all from treacherous situations, it's you. You can do anything."

"You have a lot of faith in me. Maybe more than you should."

Killian lightly shook his head. "You truly deserve this faith. I wouldn't hesitate to trust you with my life."

There was a moment of silence whilst she looked him in the eye. "In this other reality, you love me, right?"

"In every reality, every realm. My feelings for you will always be the same no matter where we are: I love you."

She lightly bit her lip and kept gazing at him. "Tell me how it all happened. How did you fall in love with me?"

"At first sight. But not only: every day I love you more than I did the day before."

Her mouth was slightly open. "Why me?"

"Because you're the most amazing woman I've ever met," he replied instantly. "The first time I saw you, I saw myself in you. I looked you in the eye and could read a whole story about you, you were like an open book. I could see that, even if we were quite different, we were somehow alike. You've fascinated me from the start."

"Was I… Was it the same for me? Did I fall in love with you at first sight too?"

The hint of a smirk appeared on his lips. He glanced down at her crossed arms before looking up at her. "You spent a long time fighting against your feelings. You didn't trust me. And you were right not to, I was not the same man at that time."

"What do you mean?"

"I was Captain Hook, probably much alike the one you've heard of in this realm. But for you, I changed. To be with you, I knew that I had to be a better man. I'm not saying that I'm good now, I'm not there yet. But I'm closer than I was before."

She uncrossed her arms and hesitantly reached across the table for his hand. "I don't think you're not a good man."

Looking at their hands and their fingers now intertwined, he simply nodded.

"What happened next?" she asked.

"Happiness," he answered instantly while looking up. "I mean, life never did run smooth, but you gave mine a meaning. You give me a reason to be. Life in Storybrooke is far from being peaceful, we've been through a lot. Villains, darkness, and even death. But at the end of the day, it taught me to believe that our love, true love, can overcome anything."

Her hold on his hand slightly tightened and she looked momentarily speechless.

"What is Storybrooke like?" she finally asked. "In my dream, it looked very different from here. There didn't even seem to be a castle."

"There isn't. We all live in houses. You and I live in a white-picket fence house with an ocean view. Houses are full of these modern devices and you're often amused because I'm still so often confused by them." She smiled tenderly and almost made him lose track of what he was saying, but he went on. "Modern devices actually aren't only inside houses. We don't get around by horse. Everyone has these contraptions called cars. You have one too, your yellow bug. It's a bit worrying at first, but it can actually be quite enjoyable. It's like a horseless carriage that you can steer from the inside. No need for a valet or anything. It's more private."

"Will this mysterious someone you want to find in Longbourn help us go back to this life?"

"Aye. It's a pirate I've come across a few times. His name's Blackbeard. He's likely to be in possession of a magic bean. With this magic bean, we'll be able to go home."

"Will he give it to you?"

"No. But he will agree to trade it. I will offer him something he's always wanted."

She nodded but still had more questions. "And my parents are in Storybrooke, right?"

"Aye."

"I'm not sure I understand how we landed in here. I recall you mentioned the Evil Queen, but there was so much to take in that I don't remember everything. How did she send me here?"

Killian explained how the Evil Queen had used the genie to send her away from Storybrooke and mentioned she had done this because she knew that, once again, Emma was the only one powerful enough to stop her. The conversation went on and he answered all her questions about Regina and the Evil Queen, about Henry and her parents, and about the first Dark Curse and how she had found herself in Storybrooke and reunited with them in the first place.

The two couples who had occupied tables close to them during dinner had left to their room already, and Killian and Emma decided it was time for them to do the same.

They were about to go to bed when Emma went to stand right in front of Killian with her back to him. She gathered her hair over her shoulder and asked, "Can you help me?"

"Help you do what?" All he could see was her bare neck on which he would have pressed his lips if she had remembered who he was.

"Remove the lace."

He looked startled and wondered what her intentions were. "Emma?"

"I can't sleep with that corset," she said casually. "I can barely even breathe."

"As you wish."

Killian did as he was asked. He slipped his fingertip under the first crossing of the lace and softly pulled to undo it. He was fully focused on his task as he undid them all one by one.

"You're very gentle," she commented.

"Am I?" he asked absent-mindedly.

"Yes. Your moves are soft and you're taking your time."

"I only have one hand."

"I know. Nothing I've said is to be taken negatively."

"Good."

Again, it was absent-mindedly that he replied; bearing in mind that he was undressing her for the sole reason of her comfort required much effort.

At last, the lace was removed and she took off the outer part of her outfit, revealing the inner layer made of a looser cloth. With her back on him, she removed her skirt and once again revealed an inner layer of thinner white material.

"How many layers are you wearing?" Killian inquired.

She quickly stood up straight. "There's only this one, now." Seeing how he was gazing at her, she added, "And I'm keeping it to sleep."

"Oh, of course. I know."

He pictured her removing this last layer and still having to leave a distance between them at night. He lightly shook his head to clear his mind. The situation was already challenging enough as it was.

"Speaking of sleeping," she said whilst indicating the bed, "Which side do you-"

"This one is your side," he interrupted and pointed the left side of the bed.

"How do you know?"

He failed at repressing a smile. "Just a wild guess."

He imitated her and removed some layers to be more comfortable. He was shirtless and about to go to bed when he noticed she was staring at him.

"Having another feeling of déjà-vu?" he asked with the hint of a smirk on his lips.

"No, I just…" Looking him up and down, she trailed off. "It's getting late, we should sleep. Goodnight."

She turned around, blew the candle on her bedside table, and let her head sink in her pillow. In his turn, Killian went to bed and blew the candle on his side, letting the room be lit only by the moonlight coming through the window and falling on their bed. Once his eyes got used to the darkness, he could make out her outline and could even tell when she fell asleep: the moves of her shoulders became more regular as her breathing deepened.

Getting to sleep was not as easy for him. He was not used to this distance between them and was longing to hold her in his arms. He recalled this time when they had travelled through time and had met the past versions of her parents who didn't know her; she had told him that she had never missed them more, and he could now understand more than ever what she meant. He mused on how to make her remember and wondered if she was likely to kiss him soon. Several elements were letting him think that she was already close to him but he had only met her on the previous day.

Not getting to sleep, he turned to the window but stargazing didn't help him, so he went back to watching her. She tossed and turned and he wondered whether she was having a bad dream, but she looked peaceful. She was facing him and he didn't resist: he reached for her and lightly brushed her cheek. That was when she surprised him: he had barely taken his hand back when she shifted closer to him. She didn't open her eyes and seemed to be still asleep when she closed the distance between them, placing her head and one hand on his chest, and interposing one leg between his. When she stopped moving, he softly wrapped her in his arms and she still didn't seem to awake. Despite the clothes separating them, the way he was holding her in his arms was so familiar that he wondered whether she had regained her memories during her sleep, or whether her subconscious had taken over. He didn't have time to muse much on this as he finally fell asleep.

"What… what am I doing here?" Emma awoke Killian by pulling away from his embrace and sitting up. "I'm sorry, I don't know how that happened."

"Emma, love, breathe," he tried to calm her down. "You don't need to apologize, it's alright."

"That's awkward."

"It's not," he contradicted whilst propping himself up on one elbow.

"It is. I don't even know you."

"I can assure you that you know all of me."

"But I don't remember so it's like I don't know you and yet I… I crawled over you."

"Love, everything's fine. We've been sleeping like this for weeks. Look, all I'm trying to say is that there's nothing wrong. The fact you came to me – and I'm glad you did – just shows that, deep down, you remember."

It seemingly didn't make her feel more at ease. She avoided his gaze and glanced around. It was daytime already.

"We should go. Longbourn awaits us."

An hour later, they were back on their horse and riding towards the port. Since their awakening, Emma had not talked much, apparently still embarrassed by how close to him she had come at night, no matter how many times Killian had told her everything was fine. The hooves of the horse hammering the ground and the occasional bird songs were the only sounds surrounding them.

They were halfway between the cottage and Longbourn when the horse suddenly neighed and reared up, almost unseating them. Killian tried to control it whilst Emma tightened her hold on him.

"Killian! Up there!"

He looked up and saw the flying monkey swirling above them like a bird of prey, before it disappeared out of sight above the trees. Killian knew that they needed to get away as fast as possible, but the horse was out of control and refused to move forward. When it reared up and nearly unseated them again, he changed his plans.

"Get off the horse!" he ordered Emma.

"What?"

"Get off the horse!" he repeated while holding out his hook to her, offering his arm as a support.

She complied and he followed.

"The horse won't lead us anywhere," he said whilst tying the horse up to the nearest tree. "We need to find shelter."

"Killian, that monster, it's the same as those who took Henry and my parents away."

"I know."

"What if it's coming for me?"

"Not for you, Princess," answered a female voice.

Hand in hand, Killian and Emma froze as they saw the green woman ahead of them. They had not even got the time to leave the path and were still on the large strip of grass separating it from the forest.

"Zelena," Killian acknowledged while hiding Emma behind him.

"Indeed," she confirmed.

"What do you want?" he asked through gritted teeth and she laughed.

"What do I want? Isn't that obvious? I said I'm not here for her. And I'm not here for the horse either. I'm here for you."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to know how you know me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Zelena, the Wicked Witch, doesn't everyone know you?"

"At the castle, I heard you told her _I_ sent the flying monkeys. How did you know?"

"Well, your monsters were not very discreet. Everyone in the village was talking about flying monkeys."

"Because I didn't tell them to be discreet. But how did you know it was _me_?"

"Flying monkeys. I mean, who else would it be?"

"No one in this land is supposed to know who I am. How do you know?"

Killian silently gazed at her with a raised eyebrow and scratched his head, wondering where to start.

"Don't play with me, pirate!" she said impatiently. "Answer me, or your girlfriend dies."

"Always blackmailing me by threatening her," he rolled his eyes.

"What are you talking about? What do you know about me?"

"Oh, I know a lot about you," he said with a smirk. "I know you're the Wicked Witch of the West. You live in Oz because you were abandoned; you were originally from the Enchanted Forest. The reason why you're green is jealousy; you're jealous of your half-sister Regina who grew up with a family and became queen, whilst you got nothing."

"How do you know all of this about me? Where do you come from?"

Killian could see she was curious, and also concerned. "Afraid my knowledge might hinder whatever wicked plan you're working on? What are you up to, anyway? Your half-sister is dead."

Zelena threateningly stepped forward and, when she held her hand close to his throat, he felt like he was choking.

"Killian!" Emma, who was still standing behind him, worried.

The witch ignored her and addressed him. "Mind your own business, my plans are my own. Who are you and where do you come from?"

Seeing he couldn't speak, she let him breathe.

"Killian Jones, also known as Captain Hook," he introduced himself. "I'm coming from another realm where I'm trying to go back, but you're standing in my way."

"What is this other realm?" Zelena inquired.

"Reality," he answered with a cocky grin. "This realm is fake. Everything here is fake. _You_ are fake."

She used her magic to choke him again, undoubtedly because she disliked his words.

"Let me explain," he managed to articulate and she let him breathe. "Thanks."

"Explain," she ordered.

"Aye. That will help if you stop choking me like this. I was saying that this realm was fake," he summarised. He was watching for another one of her attempts to choke him, but she seemed to be listening carefully. "I was saying this because it's been created by a genie's wish. This other realm is where the real version of you lives. That's where I know you from."

"Does that mean we're all trapped in this wish realm?" she asked, this time without a hint of threat in her voice; Killian seemed to have truly captivated her.

"Not you. Only Emma and I are trapped here. We're the real versions of ourselves, you're not. The real version of you is still in Storybrooke."

Killian suspected she would choke him again but she didn't, and simply asked, "What does that make of me?"

"A genie's creation, I guess."

She shrugged, apparently accepting the concept. "Is the real me successful?"

"I guess that depends on your definition of success."

"Do I rule the kingdom?"

"Is it what you're trying to do here? You want to rule the Enchanted Forest?"

"Yes. Now that I got rid of the royal family, I can have everything."

"There's still one standing," Killian pointed out and she laughed.

"Her?" she asked, designating Emma. "She's no threat to me. She's not a threat to anyone. Now, in this other realm you're going back to, do I rule the kingdom?"

"No. It's not a kingdom, it's a town, and you don't rule it. But I can tell you're healthier in this other realm: you're not green. Also, you have a daughter."

"A daughter? Whom did I steal her from?"

Surprised that this was the first question she was asking him, he repressed a laugh. "You didn't steal her. She's yours."

She looked rather confused. "Whom did I have her with?"

"Long story short, you pretended to be someone else, left with that someone's man, and became pregnant instead of her."

She seemed satisfied. "That's more like me. Is my half-sister dead?"

"Nope. You actually sort of have two of them, since Regina split herself. There are now Regina and the Evil Queen. Last I checked, you were working with the Evil half."

She looked astonished but simply inquired, "Am I happy?"

"I don't bloody know, I'm not the cricket."

"Who rules the kingdom?"

"The town, not the kingdom," Killian corrected.

"I don't care. Who rules it?"

"Regina is the mayor."

Zelena choked him once again and, this time, also lifted him off the ground. "You're saying Regina has everything and I don't succeed."

Killian didn't reply anything. He found the ground with his toes, but was visibly struggling to breathe.

"Don't hurt him! He answered all your questions."

Emma unsheathed her sword and stepped closer. Noticing how hesitant her moves were, the witch laughed and sent her sword away with a simple move of the hand.

"Your magic, love," Killian managed to say.

But Emma had no idea how to use her powers. She didn't even know if she had any of them in this realm. Panic freezing her, she watched the scene, powerless. Zelena had focused her attention back on Killian. Her magic was choking him but also immobilising him; there was nothing he could do to escape her.

"I don't care if you consider this realm not real," she said. "It is to me, and I won't let you go back to this other reality. Not now that I am so close to finally have everything I've ever wished for!"

"No!"

Emma screamed but it was too late. She saw the dagger that Zelena had brought out of a pocket going through Killian. His face contorted with pain.

"You're not going anywhere," the witch told him. She pulled out the blood stained blade and disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

"Killian! No!"

Blood was trickling over his hand which he was pressing against his stomach. He looked like he was about to lose his balance and she wrapped him in her arms right in time: his face fell forward on her shoulder and he collapsed in her embrace.

"Killian, stay with me. Please say something."

"Love," he weakly whispered.

Tears filled her eyes and blinded her. His weight was too much for her to bear. She laid him down on the ground and pressed her hand on his own to help him compress the wound.

"It's going to be okay," she reassured him and, mostly, tried to convince herself. He had told her all these stories about everything they had been through; they had been through much worse than this, she couldn't lose him like that. She repeated, "It's going to be okay."

"No, it's not," he whispered with difficulty.

His words crushed her hopes: it was not going to be okay. She realised that they had found themselves in worse situations but had been through them only because she had been the saviour. In this realm, she wasn't, and because of this she was going to lose him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Emma, love, go to Longbourn. There will be a ship, the Jolly Roger. Killian Jones, the other version of me, go and see him. Tell him to find Blackbeard, to trade his ship for a magic bean. For you, he will do it." Saying this exhausted him and he closed his eyes.

"Killian, no! I don't want another version of you. Don't leave me."

He forced himself to open his eyes. "You can do it. Trust me. I love you."

Again, his eyes closed. His hand was pressed only loosely over his stomach. She pushed it to replace it with hers and compressed as hard as she could. Kneeling by his side, she leant over him and sobs escaped her.

"Don't leave me," she begged.

She didn't know what to do. She was unable to think. She only had this feeling of déjà-vu which she didn't understand and didn't want to think about.

"Killian, you need to stay."

All she wanted was to feel the intensity of his gaze on her. His eyes were the first feature which had caught her attention; there seemed to be so much to see into them.

"You can't leave me. I didn't even tell you that I… I love you."

She felt a tingle run from her heart and down her arm. Wondering what was happening, she looked up and a bright gold light seemingly coming out of her hand blinded her. The blood around her hand seemed to resorb.

"Killian! You were right, I have magic!"

At this moment, it all came back in flashes; flashes which came very quickly one after the other. Among them were pictures of a beanstalk, a kiss, a dance, Storybrooke, Camelot, the Underworld, and their house. She remembered.

"Killian."

He still had his eyes closed and his wound had not fully resorbed yet. With her heart pounding in her chest and sobs sporadically escaping her, she focused on healing him by flooding the wound with the light of her magic. Slowly, it closed itself. Too slowly to her taste; she was impatient to see him open his eyes and to hear him breathe again, and to make sure he was fine.

At last, there was no stain of blood left and he took a deep breath.

"Killian!"

Even before he had time to open his eyes, she let her lips crash against his own and passionately kissed him. Feeling him slightly breathless, she let him catch his breath. He was gazing at her with eyes full of love and this smile she loved so much. The first thing he did was to reach for her cheek.

"My Emma."

"I'm here." She leant into his hand and covered it with hers. "Are you alright?"

"Aye. I knew you could do it."

She recalled the last words he had said before closing his eyes and realised. "That's what you were talking about when you told me that I could do it. You were not talking about finding Blackbeard or the other you. You were talking about my magic."

He nodded and she pressed her lips on his own before peppering his face with kisses.

She was still lying over him when she said, "We need to go to Longbourn."

"Just a few minutes. I still need to recover."

He captured her lips and she giggled as they rolled over in the grass.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Do you know where he could be?" Emma asked.

"There's no sign of him," replied Killian.

The two of them were in Longbourn, looking for Blackbeard.

"I know someone who can help us," Killian announced.

"Who?"

"Me! Well, this realm's version of me."

"Are you here? I mean, is he?"

"Look over there. We can see the tops of two masts. It's unmistakably the Jolly Roger. The other me must be there, and he may know something about Blackbeard's whereabouts."

"I'm going."

Emma was about to come out of hiding but Killian took her wrist and held her back.

"You don't have to do this."

"I want to. It has to be me, anyway. He can't see you."

He sighed because he knew she was right. "Be careful."

"You would never hurt me."

"He's not me," he reminded her.

"He's one version of you. Even when you were sort of bad, is there a moment when, if you had met me, you would have hurt me?"

"No."

"See? I will be safe."

"I'm still coming with you. I'll wait on the docks, but at least I won't be far from the ship."

She nodded and they walked across the port. Killian didn't want to draw attention but, luckily, none of the passers-by seemed to notice them.

"Remember: if anything goes wrong, come back to me straight away."

"Nothing will go wrong," she reassured him.

"We don't know what this version of me will be like."

Looking him in the eye, an amused smile stretched her lips when she asked, "Do you think he will look old?"

"Old?" Killian pulled a face and she giggled.

"This realm's versions of my parents looked old. I thought maybe it would be the same for you."

"I definitely don't want to see him."

Emma laughed and kissed him. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll be waiting for you right here."

She nodded and kissed his lips once again before heading to the ship. Going up the stairs leading to the deck she knew perfectly well, she was musing over what he would be like if he looked twenty-eight years older than her Killian. Since there was no one in sight, she went down the ladder. There was nobody in the captain's quarters either. She was about to go and search the rest of the gallery, but she didn't need to: she heard rushed footsteps coming closer and guessed he had heard her. She opened the door and stepped out of the quarters, and happened to meet him earlier than she had expected: not having time to realise she was standing there, he collided with her and they gazed at each other. He didn't look older than the Killian she knew. He was actually reminding her of the version of him she had met when she had fallen through the time portal. She could even feel the same red velvet vest under her fingers.

He was transfixed and, holding her hips, was keeping her against him. He was the one to break the silence.

"I must admit rum sometimes tricks me, but it would be the first time it makes me see a woman as beautiful as you. But if I can't blame the rum and you're real…" He raised an inquiring eyebrow and tilted his head on the side. "What are you doing aboard my ship?"

"I need your help." Feeling his intense gaze on her, she had to remind herself that the man in front of her was not the man she knew. She wondered how she would explain him all of this, or where she would even start. "It might take a while. Can we go to your quarters?"

"Aye, that we can."

His smirk made her realise what he could be imagining and she quickly added, "I mean, to talk."

"Oh I assure you we can find other more enjoyable activities." Finally letting go of her hips, he slipped his arm in her back and led her inside his quarters. "You're arriving right on time, I've just refilled my flask!"

He poured rum into two glasses and handed her one.

"Cheers," he said while clinking glasses and stepping closer to her. "And here we are, sharing a drink when we haven't even been formally introduced. Where are my manners? I'm-"

"Killian, I know who you are."

"So you've heard of me! And of my real name. How do you know it? No one called me that in a very long time. People have taken to call me by my more colourful moniker: Hook."

"I know all of this."

"All of this?" he repeated. "How much do you know about me?"

Since she was gazing at him, the first example which crossed her mind was how she could close her eyes and still be able to locate each of his scars or trace each of his features; she knew nothing less than all of him. She shook her head to clear her mind and looked up; he was already standing close enough to her without needing to mention any of this.

She finally answered, giving him examples of what she knew about him. "Killian Jones, the boy who was sold into servitude by his father, became a pirate when he lost his brother, and has been looking for revenge for years, searching for the Dark One to make him pay for the loss of his first love."

He looked mesmerised. "You know all of this about me and I still know nothing about you. Who are you?"

"My name is Emma," she started.

"The princess! I should have guessed," he said while examining her outfit. "I heard it said that the princess was beautiful, I should have guessed it was you. But what is the princess-"

"I'm not the princess. I mean, not really." He gave her a confused look and she took a deep breath before launching into her explanation. "I'm Emma, the daughter of Snow-White and Prince Charming, but I'm not the princess you know here. I come from another realm. Or another reality, or whatever that is. I'm not Princess Emma there, I'm… Emma. Where I come from, the Evil Queen still lives. She's the one who sent me here."

"You're fascinating," he commented. "But I must admit I am still clueless about how you know so much about me."

Still standing very close to each other, with their glasses untouched in their hands, they were gazing at each other.

"In my world, there's also a Killian Jones."

He raised an eyebrow and a crooked smile appeared on his lips as he guessed, "And we're close enough for you to know all these things about me."

"Well… We moved in together."

Both his eyebrows went up and he put his glass down on his desk. "This is even better than what I had expected." Softly, he cupped her chin and looked her in the eye. "Why don't I remember any of this? Have I been cursed by the Evil Queen too?"

"What? No." Confused at first, Emma quickly realised what he might be thinking. "When I said we moved in together, I was talking about me and the Killian Jones from my world, not you."

"Oh." He let his hand fall down and took his glass back. He was frowning, obviously confused by all of this. "If this Killian Jones is not me, how do you know everything about me?"

"Because you're the same. I mean, when I met him, he was the same pirate captain as you are today."

"Was?" he repeated, still as confused as before. "Is he not a pirate anymore? Does that mean he's sort of my future? Do I get my revenge on the crocodile and move on to be with you?"

"No, I… He gave up on revenge for love. True love, actually," she said, answering the easiest question first. "But he's not your future. He's not you, he's… another you."

"Another me. Are you saying there are two of me?"

"Yes. That's what I've been trying to say from the start."

"This means you're living with a man who is me but is not me. Does that mean I'm not the one living with you, even in the future?"

"Yes. You're not the one I'm living with," she confirmed, looking down as she felt sorry for him.

Leaning against his desk, he drank his rum down. "Well, now I'm rather curious about why you're here. If I'm not the one you're living with, what do you want from me?"

"I need your help to find Blackbeard and go back home."

"Blackbeard is dangerous, don't go to him. We don't need him. I can help you, if going back to your realm is what you really want."

"Do you have a magic bean?"

He had obviously not expected this question and raised his eyebrows once again. "No. But even if Blackbeard has one, you're mistaken if you think he'll give it to you, love."

"He will if we have something of value to trade."

"He won't be interested in your kingdom, princess. Rumours are that your family wasn't collecting many valuable treasures."

"I'm not going to offer him the kingdom. I know what he's interested in."

She glanced around the quarters and he realised what she meant. "Oh I see. When you say we moved in together, the 'we' doesn't include me, but it does when you say we have something of value to trade. You're saying that I need to trade my ship for a magic bean and let you go. Tell me, love; why would I do that? I'm losing everything."

"But this realm has been created when the Evil Queen sent me here. None of this is actually real."

"It all feels real to me."

"But it's not." She was trying to convince him but was also trying to convince herself.

Closing the distance between them, he took her hand and pressed it over his heart. "If none of this is real, if _I_ am not real, how can you explain that my heart is beating?"

"I don't know." Keeping in mind that all of this had been created by a genie's wish was already difficult for her, but convincing herself that the man in front of her was not real was even harder. "This place is not supposed to exist."

"Are you saying this realm will disappear as soon as you're gone?"

"I think so."

"What if you're wrong? What if you leave and I keep existing, without my ship and without you?"

"I can't tell. I'm sorry."

She truly was. She was sorry for coming to him and making him believe he was destined to live with her, only to tell him he would lose her and would also need to trade his ship. They silently gazed at each other for a moment.

"You could stay here," he suggested, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Stay here with me. We can have whatever you have in this other realm."

"I…" She had not expected that and didn't even know what to say. She searched his eyes and there was no doubt about it: he was serious. "I can't."

"Why not? You said that, when you met him, he was the same pirate captain as I am now. We can start over." He came closer and gave her this look which Killian was giving her when he was trying to convince her – and which usually made her cave in. "Stay here with me."

Emma was speechless. She was gazing at his face tilted on the side, at his crooked smile on his lips, and at his smouldering eyes, and she didn't know what to say. He took advantage of her silence to take one more step toward her and go on.

"Let's start over. We can leave this land and go wherever you want. We can sail the seas and I can show you the world in a way you've never seen it. I will take care of you, I can make you happy."

She didn't know if it was his words, which depicted how much he was willing to give for her already, or if it was the flirty tone that he used to say them, but she needed to remind herself that the man in front of her was not her Killian.

"I don't need anyone to take care of me."

"Says the one who came here asking for help," he replied at once with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Well, yes. I need your help to go back home."

"Stay here," he repeated, slightly leaning towards her.

"I can't. This place is not even real."

"I told you it feels real to me. And you don't look very convinced either when you say it's not. Who cares whether it's real, if we both feel like it is?" Once again, he took advantage of her silence to add, "I'm actually quite certain I would feel very real to you."

She opened wide eyes. "This won't happen. I am going back home, where I have my parents, my son, and the man I love who looks like you but isn't you."

Her words were instantly effective: his flirty smirk was wiped off his face. He left some distance between them and played with the cap of his flask.

"Well, I guess the only way I can get the chance to spend some time with you is to lead you to Blackbeard."

Surprised by the turn of the conversation, she arched her eyebrows. "Do you know where he is?"

"Aye. The reason why I'm in Longbourn is that I know he currently is in this other port where I usually moor my ship."

"How long does it take to go there?"

"If we leave now, we should arrive tomorrow when the sun reaches its zenith."

"Can we leave now?"

"Are you ready to go now?" he asked with a genuine smile on his lips.

"Almost. I just need to, uh…" She bit her lip as she wondered how to break it to him. "I am not travelling alone. There's someone else with me."

He raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Who?"

"Killian. I mean, the other Killian."

"The other Killian, you mean the version of me you're living with? He's here, too?"

"Yes. He's waiting on the docks."

"Bloody hell."

He was frowning and clenching his jaw, and Emma wondered if he would still agree to help her. "Does your offer still stand?"

He kept flexing the muscle in his jaw when he glanced around his quarters, seemingly considering her question. It was only when he looked at her that he sighed and his features softened.

"Aye. But keep in mind that I'm doing it for you, not for him."

"Thank you."

He stopped playing with the cap of his flask and the flirty smirk made its way back to his lips. "Is a thank you all I get?"

"Definitely the same man," she commented. "But I can't give you more than a thank you. I'm with Killian."

His crooked smile faded but was still visible when he lightly shook his head and stepped forward. "Do you realise that, instead of choosing, you could have us both? I would agree to share you with him."

"Are you suggesting that…" Looking at him with wide eyes, she trailed off as mental pictures crossed her mind and she decided it was better not to think about it. "Never mind."

Her reaction seemed to amuse him and he stepped back. "Go and get the lucky version of me. I'm waiting for you."

Emma nodded and left the quarters. Back on the docks, she had no difficulty finding Killian, who was waiting for her right where he had told her. As soon as they reunited, she let her lips crash against his own and kissed him wildly.

Holding her shoulder, he moved back to look at her. "Is everything alright, love?"

"Yes, I just… Did you notice we rarely go through an entire conversation without any touch? We naturally hold hands or kiss or… well, you see what I mean. I noticed that when I found myself in front of a man who looked like you but wasn't you. I mean, when you talk to me the way he did…"

She trailed off and he frowned. "Did he flirt with you?"

"I guess that's a natural thing when the name is Killian Jones," she joked.

"That's nothing to laugh about, love."

"Don't be mad at him, he's like the past version of you; I'm his type, we both know it," she said softly, cupping his jaw and brushing his cheeks. "And he's willing to help us. He knows where Blackbeard is. He's waiting for us, we're leaving now."

"You mean he knows about me and now we have to meet?"

"Yes." She could see the idea of meeting this realm's version of him was not delighting him. "I can go alone with him if you want to."

"Out of the question!" he replied instantly. "Let's go."

She flashed him a smile and quickly kissed his lips. "He doesn't look old, by the way."

"Well, at least I won't see what the mirror will show me in thirty years."

A giggle escaped her. "I'm sure you'll still be my devilishly handsome pirate."

She took his hand and they went on board. Hearing them, the pirate came out of his quarters.

"When I woke up this morning, I didn't expect my day would be so full of surprises," he commented. "I certainly didn't expect I would one day stand in front of a reflection of myself in the flesh. We truly are alike."

"How about we skip the talking part and set sail?" Killian suggested coldly.

But he ignored him and turned to Emma. "What does he have that I don't?"

"Let's see," Killian answered. "A classier vest, a better haircut and, most importantly, years of work to be a better man. You live for revenge, I live for love."

They scowled at each other and the captain of the ship addressed Emma again. "Your choice, love: black leather or red velvet?"

"Seriously?" she asked while stepping between the two of them. "That's not what I'm here for. Let's stop losing time and let's set sail."

Killian flashed her a proud smile while the captain kept gazing at her, seemingly appreciating her commanding tone.

They set sail. Emma went to stand behind the wheel and let the men take care of the rest. The main physical differences were those Killian had pointed: both had a similar outfit but Killian had a black leather vest while this realm's version of him was wearing the red velvet one. Their haircuts were also different, with the realm's version having slightly longer and messier hair.

"Killian?" she called once they had left the shore.

The two men turned around and asked in unison, "Aye, love?"

"Oh. Uh…" She had not expected this. She addressed the one wearing the red velvet vest. "I was talking to Killian. Let's say I will refer to you as Hook."

"What is it, love?" Killian asked, coming to stand behind her and wrapping her in his arms.

She tried to remember why she had called him but admitted, "I wanted to tell you something but I forgot."

He chuckled and tightened his embrace before teasing, "I wonder who's the most confused about this whole double-devilishly-handsome-pirate situation."

"Possibly me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Final chapter**

"You look thoughtful, love," Killian commented.

Emma was trailing her fingers over the railing of the Jolly Roger. "I'm just thinking of how unfair it is to him." She indicated Hook with a move of the head. "I'm coming into his life only to tell him he has to give up everything for me."

"This version of me is not real."

"But everything is real to him. And he looks quite real to me too."

Killian took her hand and waited for her to look at him. "Love, the only version of me is right here in front of you. You needn't worry about the other one."

"He's still you. I can't take everything from him, break his heart and leave." She bit her lip as she glanced at the man standing behind the wheel. "We could bring him back to Storybrooke with us."

"And then what?" Killian asked, letting go of her hand. "You would spend one night at home with me and the next one on the Jolly Roger with him?"

"What? No, I don't…"

"Because that's what he wants: you."

"I know. He even said he would agree to share me with you."

"Bloody hell." He hid his face in his hand and she repressed a laugh.

"I didn't know you were the type to share."

"I'm not. He doesn't have you and sharing is better than having nothing." He stepped closer and wrapped her in his arms. "But _I_ have you and I'm not sharing."

She giggled and kissed him.

"I can't believe you suggested to bring him back with us after he told you that."

Emma shrugged and changed the subject, taking her hand to his stomach. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like I have to be careful if I don't want to share the one I love with a man who looks just like me and who might not even be real."

"No, I mean, your stomach. You've been stabbed, remember?" She lifted his shirt to check by herself. There wasn't even a scar. "It looks all right."

"It is. You should trust your magic, love."

"I prefer to make sure. It doesn't hurt even when I touch here?" she inquired while pressing her hand over his stomach.

He flashed her a crooked smile. "The feeling of your fingers on me does anything but hurting."

"Good."

* * *

At night, they had decided to take shifts. Hook had been to get some rest in the quarters first and, late at night, it had been Killian and Emma's turn to go to bed. But Emma was unable to get to sleep. Lying in Killian's arms, she was thinking of Storybrooke, of her parents and Henry, of how to go back there and how to leave Hook behind without any remorse. She pictured herself getting some fresh air on deck and the idea was so appealing that she softly unwrapped his arms from around her and quietly left the quarters.

Hook joined her on deck before she had time to reach the railing.

"Coming on deck while Killian is in the quarters," he said and she could hear he was smiling. "Did you miss me?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"I'm dealing with too many issues."

"Hopefully I'm not one of them?"

She shook her head and leant against the railing.

"I too come to the railing and gaze at the ocean to purge the demons in my head."

"I know." Realising this sounded like she was rudely cutting off the conversation, she quickly added, "I mean, Killian told me."

Guilt took over her as she watched him gaze at the sky and she reached for his arm.

"Hey, I'm sorry. For everything. Making you give up on your ship and making you lose me."

He glanced at her hand on his arm and smiled. "I'm not sorry. I'm glad you came into my life, even if it's just for a short time. You're an amazing woman, Emma Swan."

She shook her head in disbelief and looked up at the stars.

"What is it?" he inquired.

"I just keep being amazed by how much any Killian Jones would do for me. I mean, you're known as the fearsome pirate Captain Hook," she said and he smirked when he heard the nickname. "And I've just met you. And yet, you're willing to give everything, your ship, for me."

"Let the fearsome pirate Captain Hook tell you his version of the story, love. Today, a beautiful woman burst into my life when I least expected it, coming out of my quarters which I had just left to get some rum. This woman – you – let me believe for a moment that, in another universe, we're living together. For a moment, life looked brighter than it had been in centuries. For a moment, you gave me hope. You came into my life and reminded me what it was like to live for something else than revenge. I understand why he gave up on revenge for your love. I would do the same, if only I could. This is why I am willing to help you."

He turned to the ocean and she imitated him, biting her lip while thinking of his words. She didn't know what to say but he didn't seem to be waiting for an answer.

"Since there are two of me," he said in a low voice which was enough to break the silence, "Is there also another one of you?"

"There's not."

He sighed and turned to the ocean again. "It's unfair that there has to be two of me and only one of you."

Lightly frowning, she was musing on it. "I'm the only Emma, but I was the daughter of this realm's versions of my parents. Which means that before I arrived here, they didn't have a daughter, and my son didn't have a mother. But life seemed to make sense when I thought I was their daughter." She felt as though she had finally solved the problem. "Killian was right. This realm has been created when I arrived. That's the only way. When I was with them, it felt like I had spent my whole life there. And they also believed everything was real. But I've just arrived here, I'm Emma from Storybrooke, not Princess Emma of the Enchanted Forest. I haven't spent my life here, even though they thought I had. And I can't have come into their lives just like this. Which means that everyone, and everything they thought they knew, have been created by magic at the moment when I arrived." She paused and realised that all of this might sound confusing. "I don't know if you see what I mean?"

"I'm afraid I do. You're saying everything's been created by magic the moment you arrived. And assuming everything will be erased by magic the moment you leave."

Emma realised what it meant for him and, once again, didn't know what to say; if she was right, he might disappear as soon as she would go back to Storybrooke, and she had no idea what she was supposed to tell him about it.

But once again, he didn't seem to need her to say anything: a crooked smile stretched his lips as he found the perk of being nothing more than the product of magic. "If I'm not real and you kiss me, the kiss will theoretically be not real. What is not real can't have consequences, right?"

"Killian, I can't."

"Killian is how you call the other version of me," he reminded her. "The one you kiss."

"Sorry. Hook."

"It's a shame that I might disappear without even knowing the taste of your lips."

He sighed and pretended to gaze at the ocean, but was actually watching her out of the corner of his eye. Seeing she was not taking her eyes off him, his crooked smile became more visible and he turned to her. His gaze insistently shifted between her lips and her eyes, and his heart started to pound in his chest when he detected the moment when she gave in to him.

She took a deep breath. She had guessed it might come to this: from the start, there had been this tension she had tried to ignore, in vain. Giving him this would maybe appease the guilt she was feeling toward him. This was the least she could do to thank him for everything he was doing for her. Hopefully, Killian would forgive her.

Looking him in the eye, she grabbed the lapels of his coat and pressed her lips against his own. It felt more natural than she had expected, because his lips were the same as those she was used to kiss. The difference was coming from his moves: he was avidly exploring and discovering her. There was something desperate in the way he deepened the kiss, as if he knew this was a one-time thing – his only chance to feel her lips against his own. He tightened his embrace and Emma found herself firmly pressed against him. She completely surrendered herself to him. When he lifted her up, she naturally wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, and kept kissing him. He sat her on the railing and didn't loosen his embrace. His hand found her bare ankle and slipped under her skirt, slowly moving up her leg. It was when it was halfway through her thigh that she pulled away from the kiss.

"Killian… Hook, stop."

He didn't need to be told twice: only keeping his arm in her back and his forehead against hers, he instantly left some space between them. He took his fingers to his lips.

"Killian is one hell of a lucky man."

Killian was the one she was thinking about. She had betrayed him. In the heat of the moment, she had not realised. She had been the one initiating a kiss which shouldn't have happened, and she had struggled to find the will to interrupt it. She needed to see him.

"Don't follow me," she told Hook.

"As you wish."

Getting off the railing, she walked past him and headed to the quarters. Because of what she had just done, she was feeling guilty and ashamed. Back in the quarters, she was relieved to see that Killian was awake.

"You're not sleeping," she noted.

"You can't leave my arms without awaking me." He sat up on the edge of the bed and his smile faded when he noticed her expression.

"Killian…" She bit her lip before confessing, "I kissed him."

She had wondered how he would react. He had never been angry with her but she considered he had the right to be, and would understand if he raised his voice. But Killian didn't say anything and looked down. She could see a muscle flexing in his jaw. He didn't look angry, but disappointed and even hurt, and that was actually worse.

"Please say something."

"I don't know what to say," he said, looking up at her.

"I've tried to resist but-"

"Spare me the details, love."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head and sighed. "Don't be."

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"Should I?" he inquired. His voice was soft and his features were showing no hint of anger. He shrugged. "I guessed this might happen. You kissed someone else but that someone happened to be me somehow. And I was the one getting him involved in all of this, anyway. They said coming here would lead to a price to pay. Perhaps that's it."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Aye. We're in enough trouble already, no need to add this to the list. I mean, I will appreciate if you don't do it again and-"

"I won't," she cut him off and he nodded.

"And I would gladly punch him in the face right now. But I can't be mad at you. I don't want to." He flashed her a smile. "I know you just can't resist me. Come here."

With a move of the hand, he indicated her to join him. She went to sit on his lap and sighed.

"You're making it too easy for me. All of you, Killian Jones, are making it too easy for me."

"It's because we, all the versions of Killian Jones, seem to have a heart made of the same stuff – a heart that you, Emma Swan, make pound. And I guess it works both ways, making any version of me irresistible to you."

"Is that your reason to forgive me for anything?"

"No." He reached for her cheek and brushed the corner of her lips to make her smile again. "If I don't feel like I could ever blame you for anything, it's because I love you. True love is unconditional."

"Killian," she sighed, overwhelmed with love.

"Don't say anything," he whispered before capturing her lips.

They laid down and, quickly, she forgot the idea of talking.

* * *

Awake and wrapped in Killian's arms, Emma was once again lost in thoughts. It was while she was gazing at the sword lying against the chair – the one which had travelled with her from Storybrooke and which would, according to her visions, lead to her death – that she got an idea.

"Killian," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

She turned in his arms to face him and the view of her Killian sleepily opening his eyes made her feel like she was melting. She kissed his cheek before slipping her fingers through his hair.

"I think I've got an idea," she said in a low voice. "About the sword. We can leave it here. The visions won't come true if the sword is not in Storybrooke. I can give it to Hook."

Killian only needed a second to consider the idea. "That's brilliant! If you're the one giving it to him, he will take care of it as if his own life depended on it. Especially if he knows what a threat this sword represents to you."

"I'm going to talk to him."

Once they were on deck, Killian took over the wheel, allowing Emma to lead Hook to the railing. He kept casting glances at Killian.

"I thought he was gazing at you, which I would understand, but he seems to be watching me."

"He _is_ watching you," she confirmed. "That might be because I told him that I kissed you."

Hook raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Then I guess I'm fine, if he knows and does nothing more than watching me."

"What do you mean?"

Hook smirked, obviously amused by the fact he needed to explain. "I mean that if I had you and you kissed anyone else, I would punch the man in question in the face. I wouldn't just watch him. That must be due to the years of work to become a better man that he mentioned yesterday."

Emma was hardly repressing a laugh. "He did mention the possibility of punching you in the face."

"Oh well, then, let's ignore him." Hook turned his back on Killian and fully focused on her. "What did you want to tell me, love?"

"I wanted to talk to you about this sword." She unsheathed it and handed it to him. "I want you to keep it."

"What? Like some sort of present?" he inquired while taking the sword and examining it.

"It's more than that."

He fixed his gaze upon her and tilted his head on the side. To tell him what this sword really was, she needed to explain everything from the beginning. She started with the fact that she was the saviour – something that she had not mentioned yet. He was fascinated and asked many questions about what it implied or how her magic worked. She took the time to answer all of them and, when she had the occasion, went on.

"Lately, I had some issues with my magic. My hand was shaking and I couldn't control it so well. And I had these visions. Visions of my future."

"Visions of your future?" Her tone seemed to worry him and he sounded like he was afraid of the answer when he asked, "What happens in them?"

"I die."

"You… No, that's not possible," he denied. "You've just told me about all these things you faced as the saviour. You can overcome whatever happens in those visions." He was truly concerned, now. "What kind of monster will you have to face? In those visions, how does it happen?"

"It's someone, but I don't know who that is. I only see a hooded figure. It's night-time, in the town of Storybrooke, and-"

"Storybrooke?" he interrupted her. "Then, stay here. Why do you want to go back there? Stay here, you will be safe."

"I can't stay here, we discussed this already."

"Are you saying that, now that I know about this, I'm supposed to let you go back there?"

"Yes. Because you don't have to worry. In these visions, the hooded figure kills me with a sword." She pointed the sword he was holding. " _This_ sword. If it stays in this realm, the visions won't come true."

"Wow." He examined the sword again, now seeing that it was indeed more than a present. "And you're trusting me with this."

"You're Killian Jones. I do trust you."

They exchanged a smile before he took his cutlass and its sheath off his belt, and replaced it with the sword.

"I will look after it as if it was the most precious treasure."

"This is exactly why I trust you. I know it's safe with you."

"When you think about it, I don't have much to do: if everything goes as planned, you will be back in Storybrooke tonight, and this realm and I will no longer be."

The simple reminder of this possibility made her feel sick. "Speaking of this, that's something else I wanted to talk about."

"Hopefully, it doesn't involve any other dreadful vision?"

"No, it's just… I can't believe that all of this – you – could disappear just because I leave."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said. And I think I was wrong. Even if all of this has been created by magic when I arrived, it doesn't mean it will disappear as soon as I leave. That's impossible. I can't keep saying that none of this is real. It has to be."

"Are you finally admitting that I'm real?" he asked with a crooked smile.

"Yes," she said with a light laugh, amused by his tone. "But most importantly, I'm saying that I think you will live."

"What made you change your mind?"

"This morning, I've been thinking of Storybrooke. It's been created by magic when the Evil Queen cast the Dark Curse. But when I broke the curse, Storybrooke remained. And it's still there. I believe it'll be the same for this realm. The fact that I leave won't change anything. This place will remain. And since this place may remain, I was thinking it'd be better if you still had your ship."

"But you need the magic bean."

"Yes, I know. And we have to trade the ship with Blackbeard for that. But that doesn't mean we need to give him the Jolly Roger. All we need is for him to _believe_ that we're giving him the Jolly Roger."

"That's bad form, love," he commented with a smirk. "I'm up for it! But just, how do you plan on achieving that?"

"I can use my magic to trick him. I can use a concealment spell to hide the Jolly Roger, and another spell to make a random ship look like it. This way, you can lead him to the fake ship, and leave aboard the Jolly Roger."

"Amazing! Have you ever done something like that, before?"

"No."

"Are you sure you want to do this? What about your magic? And your trembling hand? Will you be alright?"

"I can't promise it'll work, but I can try."

"It's okay, you know? I can give up my ship for you."

"But I can do it. I mean, I can try, at least. I want to. Let me do that for you."

"Well, if the lady insists…"

"It's just… Blackbeard will end up noticing someday. You'll spend your life running away from him."

A bright smile illuminated his features and he softly brushed a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "You mean I will spend my life taunting him. That is the best thing you can give me."

* * *

Later, they shared the idea with Killian who, at first reluctant, was convinced the same way as Hook when Emma said that was what she wanted to do. They decided that it was better to conceal the ship before reaching the land.

"How does that work? What do you have to do?" Hook asked.

"I just need to focus and, normally, my magic will follow."

Closing her eyes, she thought of what she wanted to do. She had to use her magic to make the Jolly Roger invisible from the outside. She knew something was happening when a warm tingle spread down her arms and reached her hands.

This was all a matter of perception: she could feel the ship and imagine a veil covering it from the bow to the stern. When she felt like she was done, she opened her eyes.

"It went well," she announced with a smile.

Hook took her hand and examined her palm. "I had never seen something like this. That was amazing. Are you alright?"

"Yes. But the next part may be trickier."

Soon after the sun reached its zenith, they reached the land. It was when they found themselves on the docks that they observed that the Jolly Roger was invisible indeed.

"Brilliant!" Hook commented. "Am I invisible too, when I'm on board?"

"Yes," Emma confirmed by standing on the first step and disappearing.

"Brilliant," he repeated. "If you don't lift the spell, Blackbeard will never be able to find me."

"The spell might be lifted automatically when I leave. And if it isn't… do you really want your ship to remain invisible? I mean, you'll have to be careful and remember where it is."

"Point taken. But don't worry about this, love. Now, can you make any of these ships look like the Jolly Roger?"

She glanced around and noticed that there seemed to be a part of the port more remote than the rest. "Over there. There should be what we need."

Surrounded by the two men, she headed to the other end of the port. The pier led her to a place where there was no one to witness what she was about to do. She looked at the ships around her and fixed her gaze on one of them, which size was alike the size of the Jolly Roger.

"This one should do."

"Are you still sure you want to do this?" Hook inquired.

"Yes."

She nodded and closed her eyes, once again focusing on what she wanted to do. She had never done that and didn't really know how to proceed. She had managed to cast a spell to hide the Jolly Roger, but she was not sure she would be able to cast another one. She had actually convinced herself that this would be the tricky part. She couldn't feel any tingling sensation. The thoughts crossing her mind made her fear that her hand might start shaking again, and that was something she didn't want to happen in front of the two men.

"Emma, you can do it," Killian encouraged her, coming closer and placing his hand on her stomach.

Hook imitated him and slipped his arm in her back, placing his hand on her waist to remind her that he was there as well. They were both there and they believed in her. She had to believe too. There was no reason why she couldn't do it. All she needed to do was to focus. She had to do it; she needed to do it for Hook, to give him the possibility to live his pirate's life aboard his ship. At last, she felt the tingle in her arms and in her hands, and focused on the Jolly Roger, mentally leading her magic to do whatever was needed to turn the ship standing in front of her into its replica.

"Love, open your eyes," Killian whispered.

Her magic had worked and, from the outside at least, it perfectly looked like the Jolly Roger to her.

"Blackbeard is going to fall for it!" Hook said. "Even I can barely see the difference."

"He won't see it at first, but he will notice. I only made it _look_ like the Jolly Roger, but it won't be as fast."

"Even better!" Hook was delighted. "You truly are the most amazing."

He and Emma exchanged a smile, and Killian interrupted them. "I'd say it's time to go and find Blackbeard."

"He'll be at the tavern."

"In the middle of the day?" Emma asked.

"There isn't a right time to drink, love," Hook said with a crooked smile. "I suggest you two go back aboard the Jolly Roger while I deal with him."

They approved and went back to the ship. After a few minutes, when they saw Hook had not come back, they guessed he had found Blackbeard.

As the hour went by, they talked about what he might be doing and discussed the chances that he had to get the magic bean. While Emma had some doubts, Killian was confident, and he was proven to be right when Hook came back with a smug smile, showing them a small pouch.

"Emma, you're a genius! He's been fooled very easily. He asked me to lead him to the Jolly Roger, I did, and he noticed nothing. He gave me the bean and left." Hook handed her the pouch. "And now, you can go home."

Choosing to distance themselves from the land to open a portal which would lead them back to Storybrooke, they set sail. When they were far enough, Hook went to talk to Emma.

"Looks like this is where our story ends," he said. Emma noticed a sparkle in his eyes and a hint of a smirk on his lips that she didn't understand at first. "Since you're the saviour and you bring back the happy endings, will you make of ours a happy one?"

He was being flirty again and she shook her head. "Hook…"

He chuckled and was seemingly pleased with himself. "I know I can't taste your lips like I did last night. That is why, instead, I'm finding joy in talking to you like this. I quite fancy the way you roll your eyes as if I was the most annoying pirate of all the realms. But what I love the most is this light blush covering your cheeks," he said while caressing one of them. "Or the way you're staring at me right now. Aye, that is definitely what I love the most." They gazed at each other for a moment, until he asked, "I know I cannot taste your lips but will I get the honour of holding you in my arms once again?"

He opened his arms to her and, without a hint of hesitation, she closed the distance between them. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the corner of her lips. She had not expected this, but she didn't stop him. Resisting the temptation to turn her head to capture his lips, she simply smiled. He shifted across her cheek before going to her neck.

When he loosened his embrace, she didn't. She wasn't sure she was ready to let him go, and guessed that he might probably feel the same; thanks to her magic, he was not losing his ship, but he was still losing her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered while his lips were still pressed on her neck.

"Shh, don't let such words ruin the magic of this moment."

He tightened his embrace and she stayed in his arms for another moment, lightly scratching the back of his head.

"Do you realise that, in some way, magic has created my life for the sole purpose of sharing these two days with you? I am one of the lucky ones," he said while softly pulling away from the hug and she looked him in the eye. "I have one last request: live, Emma Swan. Live a long and happy life. If in any way I have helped saving you, my existence won't have been vain."

"What about you?"

He flashed her a smile and glanced around before announcing proudly, "I'm giving up on revenge. I've found a new reason to live: if there are two of me, I can't believe there is only one of you. I'm going to explore other realms and hope that, someday, I will bump into another one of you. If I don't, I'll just find a genie and directly ask him to send me where there's an Emma Swan living without a Killian Jones."

Emma bit her lip in an attempt to repress the tears. She found herself hoping and even believing that, somewhere, in another realm, in an alternate reality, another version of herself was waiting for him.

"When you find her, she is likely to need some time before admitting her feelings. Be patient and don't give up." Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips on his cheek. They stayed in each other's embrace and her lips lingered on his cheek before she whispered, "Never forget what you're fighting for."

"I won't." They pulled away and he wiped away the tear which had escaped her. "Do not let sorrow take over when you think of me, love. Always remember that you've changed my life for the better."

She nodded and he wiped away a second tear which rolled down her cheek. "I still don't know how to say goodbye."

"We don't have to." Hook indicated Killian who was standing a few metres away. "I think he's waiting for you." Softly, he took her hand to his lips. "It's time for you to go home."

He led her to Killian who patted his shoulder and nodded gratefully before turning to Emma. "Are you ready, love?"

"Yes." She tossed the bean into the water and took Killian's hand whilst a portal opened below them. She turned to Hook. "Thank you."

He flashed her a bright smile; a bright smile which was the last she saw of him and which she did her best to return. She and Killian jumped through the portal which brought them back to Storybrooke and closed itself, leaving a whole realm behind them.


	6. Epilogue

_Okay, I lied when I said there would be only five chapters to this story; I didn't know it was a lie at that time, but in the end I couldn't leave Hook like this, so here's an epilogue. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 _Two years later, in the Enchanted Forest of a parallel universe._

Leaning over the railing of his ship with his flask of rum in his hand, Hook was gazing at the ocean. He was hopeful: in two years, he had never been so close to achieve his goal.

Two years earlier, he had seen Emma jump through a portal bringing her back to Storybrooke. One of the last things she had told him was to never forget what he was fighting for, and he never did. In barely two days, she had come into his life and turned it upside-down: after centuries spent fighting for revenge, he had started fighting for love. Convinced that if there were two versions of him, there had to be another version of Emma, he had set out on a quest to find her.

Not a day went by when he didn't think of her. There were days when he was tempted to think that his quest was vain, but every time he decided not to give up, keeping in mind that, if he was unwilling to fight for what he wanted, he would deserve what he would get. He couldn't give up; if there was an Emma somewhere out there, and a possibility of a future with her, he would never stop fighting for them.

His quest led him to cross the Enchanted Forest in search for any information he could collect on other realms or on how to travel from one to the other. It required him to go from village to village and question anyone who might know anything about it. He rarely got any useful information, but it was for him the occasion to hear other stories, and he was delighted to learn that Blackbeard had finally realized he had been tricked and was going mad because of this. In the meantime, Hook kept living aboard the Jolly Roger which was still invisible because Emma's spell had remained.

Almost two years after his life had been turned upside-down, Hook came across an old druid who told him stories about a man called the Apprentice. According to the druid, the Apprentice had an unequalled knowledge: if there was anyone able to help him, it would be him. The druid was able to indicate only vaguely where the man lived, and his quirkiness made Hook doubt that he was trustworthy, but since it was his only current lead, he gave it a try, and he was right to: he spent weeks looking for him, striding across the forest until, finally, he found the remote cottage he had been told about.

The old man who opened the door welcomed him with open arms, which surprised Hook; strangers were usually more mistrustful towards him. But the fact was that he was no stranger to the Apprentice: the old man happened to know everything about him, and about his quest to find Emma. Hook was even more surprised when he told him that he could actually help him: after confirming that there were parallel Enchanted Forests with other versions of themselves, the Apprentice mentioned a magic bean that he had in his possession and that he was keeping for exceptional occasions – occasions like this one; he revealed that he had been watching Hook for a while, following him in his quest and admiring how wholeheartedly dedicated he was.

With the magic bean in his pocket, Hook went back to his ship. All he needed to do was to think of where he wanted to go and to sail through the portal. That was how he found himself in a parallel Enchanted Forest, where the Jolly Roger became visible to everyone again as Emma's spell seemed to be lifted. It was night-time when he arrived at the village overhung by the castle. Deciding that waiting for the next day was wiser, he headed to the tavern where he approached strangers. He mentioned that he had come a long way – just not how long – before asking questions about the kingdom. His heart started to pound as soon as he was told that Princess Emma lived at the castle with her parents, Queen Snow-White and King David. The more stories he heard about her, the more impatient he was to meet her: the royal family seemed to inspire nothing but respect and admiration and, according to the tales he was told, Emma was much appreciated by everyone. She was known as a tough princess who spent more time outside, protecting her kingdom, than at the castle. Rumours were that, when she was inside, she was likely to be reading a book and daydreaming about adventures. This piece of information filled Hook with hope: a life of adventures happened to be, in his mind, one of the only things he was able to offer her.

On the next morning, he headed to the castle. It didn't take him long before getting caught by two guards. He didn't even try to fight: because he had trespassed and this was against the rules, he knew they would take him to the royals, which was exactly what he wanted. With his arms tied in his back, he was led to a room where two people, that he guessed were the king and the queen, were sitting in thrones. One of the guards informed them that he had been found breaking into the castle. That was when he stopped paying attention because there she was: Princess Emma had just entered the room and went to stand next to her parents. She was even more beautiful than in his memories. Surely because she wondered why he was gazing at her this way, she didn't take her eyes off him. Her look was far from being as soft as the one he had got used to two years earlier, but he didn't take this as off-putting, on the contrary: he loved a challenge.

One of the guards poked him with his sword. "Answer the king!"

Tearing his gaze away from the princess, Hook glanced at the king who repeated his question, "Who are you?"

The pirate fixed his gaze on Emma again as he answered, "I'm Captain Hook. But you can also call me Killian Jones. I've travelled a long way. I come from another realm."

"Another realm? So that's true? Other realms exist?" The princess had her eyes wide open and filled with curiosity and wonder.

"Aye," he confirmed.

He was about to say more about it, but her father interrupted him. "What brought you here?"

"I'm here for Emma."

The princess opened wide eyes again, and the king stood up and protectively went closer to his daughter.

"What do you want with her?"

"I promise I mean her no harm."

"You're a pirate. And you trespassed in our castle. For that, you will be sent to the dungeons."

"Dad." The princess placed a hand on his arm to catch his attention. "We both know the trespass is not the reason why you want to lock him up. But I can feel he's not lying when he says that he doesn't mean to cause any harm. He can be trusted."

"He's a pirate," the king insisted.

"David," Snow said on a reproving tone, taking her daughter's side.

"Fine," the king sighed and addressed the guards. "Lead him back to the front doors."

The pirate and the princess exchanged a smile. He didn't know how she knew he could be trusted, but all that mattered was that she did. He had been in the same room as her for only a few minutes and, already, he could see her eyes had softened.

The guards made him turn his back on her but, before he reached the doors, he said out loud, "If anyone wishes to find me, all they have to do is to go to the docks. I will be aboard the Jolly Roger."

Once outside the castle, Hook went back to his ship. He spent the rest of the morning and a part of the afternoon waiting on deck, admiring the ocean and daydreaming of the princess he had just met. He was unable to forget her eyes filled with curiosity and awe, and wondered if she would be curious enough to follow his indications and come to find him. He had doubts but was still hopeful: his quest had led him there and he was closer to achieve his goal than he had ever been.

He was leaning over the railing of the Jolly Roger with his flask of rum in his hand, gazing at the ocean, when the voice he had been dreaming to hear pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Killian?"

He instantly turned around and there she was, aboard his ship. "You came."

"You look surprised I did," she said whilst pulling off her hood and coming closer.

"I was hoping you'd come, but I wasn't certain you would."

She shrugged. "I wasn't sure I would, either."

"What convinced you?" he inquired, forcing himself to remain still and resist the urge to run to her and wrap her in his arms.

Her mouth fell slightly open. "I don't know."

"Deep down, you do." He could see it in her eyes.

She bit her lip. "You said you came here for me." A light blush covered her cheeks and she tore her gaze away from him to glance at the ship instead. "And you get to travel a lot."

"So it's true, what is said about you?"

"What is said about me?"

"That you dream of adventures."

Biting her lip again, she looked up at the mast and the sails. "My life is great, here. I have everything. And I love horseriding through the forest and taking care of the kingdom. But I'm not supposed to cross the borders. There seems to be so much more to see, but I can't go there. I guess what is said about me is right. I would love to have the chance, one day, to go further and explore more of the world."

"That day could be today."

"What?"

"Come with me. I can show you the world!"

"I… I can't leave the kingdom just like that. And my parents think that I'm horseriding in the forest. They'll get worried if I'm not back by sunset. What about you, anyway? What's your reason for being here, exactly?"

"It's you." His answer was so instant that she arched her eyebrows, and he added, "I've spent two years looking for you."

"Two years? But you don't even know me."

"I do. Sort of. It would be too complicated to explain. Would you let me tell you about this only later?"

She nodded and he rejoiced in the idea that there would be a 'later'.

"But I still don't understand," she said. "Let's assume that you do know who I am; why would you spend two years looking for me? No one's ever done that before."

"Have you ever been in love?"

She looked suspicious. "No, I've never been in love."

"Does that mean there is no one holding your heart?" he inquired, hopeful.

"There is no one holding my heart," she confirmed.

Hook felt excitement run through his body. He was looking at her and all he wanted was to close the distance and hold her against him; to kiss these lips he had dreamt of. But he needed to resist.

"Why are you asking all these questions?" she asked.

"Because…" Because he loved her and he just wanted to be with her, and he had reasons to believe that it could work. He also had reasons to believe that it was too early to tell her all of this. "I was wondering if you would agree to come sailing with me. We wouldn't go far, so that we would be back before sunset."

She bit her lip and glanced up at the sails. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes," she confirmed. She narrowed the distance between them and looked him in the eye. "Now is my turn to ask a question: this doesn't have to be a one-time thing, right?"

His heart skipped a beat and he shook his head. "Unless you want it to be a one-time thing, it doesn't have to be. I have all the time in the world, we can come and go as you wish."

"Good!"

This was how a new story – their story – started: they set sail together for the first time, which happened to be the first of countless times.


End file.
